Malaysian Gooner

Arsenal take on Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday in what should prove to be an interesting 4th round fixture. With Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League table, Arsene looks set to put his best players in bubble wrap and play the youngsters. All eyes will be on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas who is rumoured to start this match; his debut for the club. JET has already been in the headlines this month after scoring a hat-trick against West Ham for the Reserves in the same match Sol Campbell made his return in an Arsenal shirt.

Jay captained last season’s double winning Youth side and spent 3 months on loan at Blackpool this season where he impressed so much that the Lancashire club are trying to resign him on another loan deal. He probably the most versatile player in the Arsenal squad having played in almost every position on the field bar goalkeeping. He’s performances in the Youth Cup last season though showed that he will perhaps make a career for himself in the second striker role. Tonight though, he will probably be deployed in a midfield three with Jack Wilshere and Craig Eastmond. It will be interesting to see who will play the ‘Cesc role’, JET or Wilshere. Wenger could also spring a surprise and play him on the left of our forward trident although Arsenal could use JET’s height in the middle of the park, especially with the absence of Abou Diaby.

According to some sources, apparently Sol Campbell has picked up a neck injury in training and has been ruled out. And with Bacary Sagna given a rest, and his deputy Eboue away on international duty, another of JET’s double winning team mates might get a runout. The starting XI will likely be,

GK. Fabianski

RB. Francis Coquelin

CB. Philippe Senderos

CB. Mikael Silvestre

LB. Armand Traore

LCM. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

CDM. Craig Eastmond

RCM. Jack Wilshere

LAW: Sanchez Watt

RAW: Eduardo da Silva

CF: Carlos Vela

Theo Walcott will likely start on the bench as Arsene will not want to rush him back too soon. Expect the Gunners bench to contain a few of the first eleven that Wenger will turn to in case things don’t go according to plan.

UPDATE: If the rumours that Senderos has signed for Everton on loan are true, we might see JET at CB.

Please post your thoughts on how the team will line up in the comments section below.

Well mathematically, it’s impossible to win the title in February but Arsenal’s next 4 Premiership games in the space of 15 days will play a very important role in deciding if the Emirates Stadium will see it’s first Premiership trophy. Away to Villa, at home to Man Utd, away to Chelsea, at home to Liverpool. 4 games that look daunting but at closer inspection, the Gunners should fancy their chances. In my opinion, 10 points out of 12 from these matches and Gooners can start dreaming of a title again. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to dream.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal (27/1/2010)

Aston Villa have proven over the past few seasons that they are no pushovers and this will certainly be a tight match. Cesc Fabregas’ 27 minute cameo was the difference between the two sides at the Emirates and Arsenal win need another performance of that sort from captain fantastic in order to secure the points at Villa Park. Villa have not been in the best of form but you can never right them off and their players will be motivated to impress Martin O’Neill as Villa head to Wembley  at the end of this month in the League Cup finals. A win would be sensational but a draw seems reasonable.

Arsenal vs Manchester United (31/1/2010)

2-1 at Old Trafford without Cesc Fabregas in a game that we deserved not just something out of the game, but a win. We gifted Man Utd 2 goals after an Arshavin stunner put us in front. Since that game, we’ve improved as a team and with Cesc back pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Man Utd will have their hands full. While we’ve improved, some might argue Man Utd have not. I have never seen a Man Utd team so inconsistent and it may come down to the fact that games that Man Utd used to win narrowly thanks to magical moments from CR7 are now mere draws or worse, loses. With the possible return of Alex Song (Cameroon play favourites Egypt on the 25th, which all Gooners hope they’ll lose), I expect Arsenal to play well and send out a signal to our rivals that we are very much in this title race with 3 points.

Chelsea vs Arsenal (7/2/2010)

A full 7 days after the match at the Emirates we will travel to Stamford Bridge to take on a Chelsea team that will be welcoming back their African contingent of stars from the African Cup of Nations. One man that will not be in that lineup is Michael Essien who will miss the game through injury. Worryingly though, the man that tormented Arsenal at the Emirates, Didier Drogba will definitely be available if fit. I know its unsporting to say so, but I hope Drogba’s run with the Côte d’Ivoire team results in him picking up an injury. A Drogba-less Chelsea may have beaten Sunderland 7-2 but it is nowhere near as good as a Chelsea team containing Drogba. If Arsenal can keep Drogba quiet, we may just nick a win at Stamford Bridge but that act is easier said than done.

Arsenal vs Liverpool (10/2/2010)

Liverpool have been having so many problems both on and off the pitch this season that the club can’t even afford to sack their underachieving manager. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard have both been ruled out by injuries and unless Arsenal pick up injuries to key players; this should be 3 points in the bag against a Liverpool defence that is nowhere as good as it used to be.

Besides a few tricky away matches at Birmingham (27/3/2010) and Spurs (10/4/2010), most of our ‘tough’ opponents will visit the Emirates where we will always have the upper hand with the large pitch, carpet grass and crowd support. If Arsenal can stay within touching distance of the leaders after this 15 day period, we’ll be in for a very interesting title race.

Of course anything can change in 15 days. In fact, everything can change in 24 hours as the transfer window is still open. Please post your views and thoughts in the comments section below.

As I predicted in my previous post, Sol Campbell is all set to return to Arsenal on a 6 month deal and will replace Philippe Senderos who is set to leave the club in search of first-team football. As I stated before, the signing of Sol can do nothing but good for Arsenal as the contract is only short term.

Gooners can be happy that over the hill in footballing terms only means you lose your pace and maybe a bit of fitness, but not height or heading ability. Arsenal fans have been crying out for a big centre half and Campbell centainly offers more in the air than Senderos who will all remember for losing out to Drogba constantly when dealing with high balls. Campbell will provide very good backup for Gallas and Vermaelen and will provide a bit of variation in times of need. Hey, if Citeh can sign Vieira and the Spuds can sign Flamini, there’s no reason why we can’t sign Campbell right?

Sol will be playing for a contract and that will only work to our advantage. His last contribution for the club? The opening yet ultimately losing goal in the Champions League final. Sol will give the club a lift, especially the British players who could use some experience around them.

Feel free to give your opinions on Sol’s return in the comments section below.

The news that Sol Campbell might be returning to Arsenal has been greeted with mixed reactions from Gooners around the world. As Philippe Senderos is looking to leave the Gunners in search of first-team football, Wenger will need a signing at centre half to cover just in case injuries befall either William Gallas or Thomas Vermaelen.

Wenger could do a lot worse than signing the Arsenal legend. Signing Campbell on a 6-month contract would be absolutely fantastic because of three players; Senderos, Djourou and Gallas. The signing of Campbell would definitely cover the loss of Senderos this season. The Swiss international never looked like regaining a first-team place after returning from his loan spell with AC Milan and the €3m figure being touted by the press seems fair considering he has hardly kicked a ball this season. Campbell may not be the player he was 5 years ago but can’t help but wonder how far he is away from Senderos’ level of ability.

Campbell will also plug that gap at the back until the end of the season when it is expected that Johan Djourou will return from injury. The other Swiss international looked sharp and ready to play an important role this season before suffering a knee injury while on international duty in August and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Arsene should love the fact that Sol can play his part and once Johan returns, the former Portsmouth player will not hamper the progress of our number 20.

Finally, and perhaps the most importantly; the signing of Sol Campbell will mean that Wenger will not have to dip into an inflated January transfer market for the centre back he may need to replace William Gallas come the end of the season. Wenger has said that he may make an exception to the “over-30″ rule at the club for William but that does not mean Gallas will sign it. Wenger confirmed the obvious that Gallas had once lost his appetite for the club. When asked recently on contract negotiations with Gallas, Wenger said:

Maybe at one stage he might have considered leaving. But it is always the same in life: if you have the right attitude, then people will rate you. He had the right attitude and has, maybe, found his appetite for the club again. That is a credit to him.

Sol’s signature would mean that Wenger can put off signing a replacement like Cristian Zapata until the summer, when his price tag would be lower. The Udinese star has been linked with the Gunners in the past but it seems that Arsenal’s finances have improved and we’re now prepared to pay the €12m fee Udinese require for his services.

So the race is on this transfer window, Arsene Wenger’s aim, to find the bargain buy of the window. He must either be young with a bright future ahead or old enough that he wont hold up the progress of the youngsters. He must also possess good upper body strength, a fair amount of pace and of course the ability to bag lots and lots of goals.

Wenger needs a target man, too many times this season have Arsenal crossed balls into the box only for it to end up at the other end of the pitch. Too many times this season has Arsenal’s lone striker been forced off the ball because when Arsenal launch a break he isn’t strong enough to hold onto the ball while waiting for support. And too many times this season have Arsenal been caught out by set pieces.

The press have thrown the name of every striker they can think of but there are probably 2 or 3 that are likely to join. I’m going to analyze three possibilities; Andre-Pierre Gignac (24, Toulouse), Lacina Traore (19, CFR Cluj) and Carlton Cole (26, West Ham).

Andre-Pierre Gignac

Gignac seems the perfect Wenger signing. French, plays in France, french. He has the upper body strength, the pace and at 6 ft 1 in he isn’t short either. He was the French league’s top scorer with a Toulouse team that was only good enough for 4th spot last season. With an Arsenal team filled with midfield talent capable of defence splitting passes he will surely score more goals. The bad news is that he had such a good season with Toulouse that his price has skyrocketed and it seems unlikely that Wenger will sign him unless Ivan Gazidis has very good negotiating skills.

Lacina Traore

Not much is known of the Ivorian Lacina Traore but the CFR Cluj President has told the press that Arsenal have been in contact. He would probably be the cheapest option at about €4m but there are worries that he will not qualify for a work permit. At a staggering 6 ft 8 in, he will be the only player in English football that Peter Crouch will literally look up to! Capable of player as either a striker or in midfield he has that versatility that Wenger loves and it wouldn’t be surprising if Wenger signed him anyway regardless if he signs another striker this season. Traore seems to be one for the future.

Carlton Cole

Either another story made up by the tabloids or Arsene wants Premier League proven talent. Cole fits the bill, tall, speedy and good in the air. At €10m, he could me a good signing but at 26 he might just be at the imperfectly perfect age for Wenger, as in he might stop the youngsters from growing. Honestly, if Wenger wanted Premiership players, I’d rather go for the available Benni McCarthy. At 32, a provides the short term fix we just might need.

The news that Robin van Persie’s season is over has left many Gooners dreaming of Ashburton’s first Premier League title doubtful that the time is now. The loss over Sunderland last weekend brought the buoyant Gunners back down to Earth. They are not ‘Invincible’, not even close to it. The good news is, neither is Chelsea.

Robin’s injury means that for the rest of the season Arsene will have to rely on Carlos Vela, Eduardo Da Silva and Niklas Bendtner for the goals to win them the silverware he promised during Arsenal’s AGM. Arsenal’s midfield has been scoring goals, but that’s because our lone striker, van Persie was also a very good playmaker, setting up as many as he scored. Eduardo has proven he can scores goals but he probably isn’t as good a passer as van Persie while Bendtner is the other way around. He sets up plenty but isn’t be best of finishers. Carlos Vela could be the conundrum that saves or ends Arsenal’s season. He can do both but probably is not experienced enough at this level. This is his chance, he has to take it. If he doesn’t, then Arsene might look at a few striking options come January. It would be the first time Arsene signs a striker for the first team since he signed Eduardo when Henry left.

If the Eduardo, Bendtner and Vela don’t deliver the goods, Arsenal will rely a lot of the best attacking midfield in the Premier League in Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky and Arshavin. A huge ask from 2 players that are returning from long term injuries and a player that isn’t even motivated to play football anymore.

Please post your views on Arsenal’s strike force in the comment section below.

Well, Arsenal’s title credentials will be put to the test this weekend at the Stadium of Light. While the Gunners have been magnificent at home this season, their away form has certainly flattered to deceive. The two losses in Manchester will be seen as blips in what has otherwise been a fantastic start to the season. Take away those two games, you have an unconvincing win against Fulham with Mannone playing a blinder, a draw against West Ham with us two up at half time and a flattering 4-1 trashing of Wolves in a match where for the first half hour the league’s bottom club were outplaying us. The 6-1 win over Everton being the only exception to this case.

Add to that the injuries sustained by Robin van Persie and Kieran Gibbs, and Arsenal are set for a very tough away match against a Sunderland side that were denied a win at Old Trafford with a last minute OG. That same side beat Liverpool two weeks later with a goal from a beach ball, but Sunderland dominated and deserved the win. Their home form has been phenomenal, Chelsea the only team to beat them at home this season.

Arsenal will look upon two absentees in the Sunderland lineup with a grin though. Kenwyne Jones is suspended and will be replaced by Fraizer Campbell up front. Campbell isn’t the worst of strikers but he has nowhere near the ability that Jones has. The lack of aerial presence will benefit Arsenal’s rather short defenders, especially with veteran William Gallas possibly fatigued after playing 120 minutes against the Republic of Ireland in midweek. Jones has been the perfect foil for Darren Bent this season and the former Spurs player certainly missed Jones in his abysmal display at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago. The other absentee in the Sunderland lineup will be ‘keeper Craig Gordon who broke his arm in that same game. He is set to be replaced by Marton Fulop in goal as Arsenal will soon find out if he’s going to be one of those ‘keepers that have made names for themselves playing out of their skin in order to keep a starting place. Sunderland will welcome the return of Lorik Cana though who returns from a suspension. Gooners will surely remember his name as he was heavily linked to us during his time with Marseille.

Eduardo is set to replace Robin van Persie at the forefront of the 3 man strike froce with Arshavin and possibly Nasri either side of him. The injury suffered by deputy LB Gibbs leaves Wenger with either Silvestre replacing him or Bacary Sagna moving to LB with Eboue taking up the RB spot. My preference would be the latter as Silvestre’s lack of speed is a liability. Armand Traore is more of a midfielder than a defender in my opinion.

Alex Song is one yellow card away from missing the Chelsea match and it will be interesting to see how cautious the Cameroonian will be in his tackles. He will be partnered by captain Cesc Fabregas and possibly Aaron Ramsey in midfield with Abou Diaby out and Denilson lacking match fitness. Manuel Almunia will stay in goal but it is unclear if either the returning Fabianski or Vito Mannone will be on the bench.

With Liverpool playing Man City at Anfield and a possible banana skin game for Man Utd against Everton, Arsenal could use a win to stay in touch with leaders Chelsea who play Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

In previous seasons, Arsenal have been the prime example of how complacency can lose you the title. Despite not winning anything since the FA Cup triumph in 2005, we have never been outplayed by any of the other ‘Big 4′ teams consistently in any given season. We have always performed well in most of the matches against them, in fact our record against Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool have actually been quite good. What has cost us the title so many times is our slip ups against the so-called smaller teams of the league. In recent memory, losses to Stoke and Hull last season spring to mind.

Now though, Arsenal have taken note of the success of Man Utd have had over the last couple of seasons and pointed to the fact that Man Utd’s record against their title rivals have been less than impressive. Man Utd won those league titles by doing the ordinary, maximizing their points against teams in the bottom half of the league. Arsene Wenger has pointed this out numerous times and as Arsenal shape up for their game against Wolves today, there is the sense that the team are very much focussed on the job at hand.

This season more than any, the matches against the smaller sides will make the difference as the Big 4 are finding out that in this league, the likes of Burnley and more than capable of beating the Manchester Uniteds of this world. The matches between the top 4 (or even 5 or 6) will be less important as Liverpool have shown after losing to Fulham a mere week after defeating Man Utd.

The Arsenal players are saying all the right things, we need to be “up for it” and we need to “focus on ourselves”. There is that feeling that Arsenal is treating every game like a cup final, something we lacked for the past few seasons. We never seemed to have problems against teams in the top half of the league but I remember when we took on Stoke last season, not many were confident of a win.

Of course talking is nothing without the performance and a solid performance against Wolves will go a long way to proving just how capable this side is of winning the league this season. As the cliché often goes, “We don’t mind losing the big games as long as come the end of the season we lift the trophy.”

Liverpool’s loss to Fulham yesterday made me think about a few things. Liverpool’s 5th loss of the season before even November means that they will have to pull a rabbit of of a hat to win the league this season.

But this post is not to discuss if Liverpool are capable of winning the league. While most of us Gooners aren’t too worried about our 5 season barren run, how many of us would trade away the chance to win the league for another 20 years in order to win the Champions League for the first time?

This is not a bash at Liverpool, I just wanted to know which is the priority. I for one would take the Premiership over the Champions League even this season but I know some Gooners long being the best in Europe and probably the world.

Post your comments below.

I really wonder if our squad is as thin as some people think. If we don’t get any more injuries, when those who are out come back (mostly in October) we will have a pretty strong squad.

Starting XI:
Almunia
Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Clichy
Song
Fabregas-Rosicky
Arshavin-RvP-Eduardo

Subs:
1. Fabianski
2. Silvestre*
3. Eboue
4. Vela
5. Bendtner
6. Walcott
7. Denilson

*Silvestre instead of Senderos because he can play LB as well so no need to have Gibbs in squad.

No place in the squad for:
1. Senderos
2. Gibbs
3. Ramsey
4. Diaby
5. Wilshere

In fact, our subs plus reserves could make another team (strong team!) of its own.

Fabianski
Eboue-Senderos-Silvestre-Gibbs
Denilson
Ramsey-Diaby
Walcott-Bendtner-Nasri

Imagine people like Walcott and Nasri only capable to being a part of Arsenal’s SECOND XI!!!

Not forgetting that I didn’t include Djourou who is out for 8 months and rising stars like Sanchez Watt and Henri Lansbury who could break into the first team. Also, don’t forget Pedro Betelho is in his final season at Celta Vigo before he gets his Spanish citizenship.

The future is bright, the future is red and white!

Give your opinions in the comments below.